Portsmouth

Portsmouth's population expanded in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in religion, housing tenure and ethnicity.

The population passed 200,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Portsmouth increased by 9.8%, from just under 187,000 to 205,000.

The addition of about 18,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Portsmouth was home to, on average, 36 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres). This made it the South East's most densely-populated unitary authority.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Portsmouth

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Portsmouth decreased by one year, from 35 to 34 years.

This city had a lower average age than the South East and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 9,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 3,000.

About 19% of people in Portsmouth are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Portsmouth by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Portsmouth

The number of people in Portsmouth that described themselves as Christian increased from just under 130,000 in 2001 to just under 110,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 68% to 52% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the South East (from 73% to 60%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Portsmouth that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 37,000 in 2001 to about 72,000 in 2011 (from 20% to 35%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from just under 16,000 to about 15,000 (from 8.3% to 7.3%).

Just under 7,200 people (2.2%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 4,000 in 2001 (3.5%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Portsmouth decreased by 16 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Portsmouth by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Portsmouth that rented privately increased from 15% to 25% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 18%, while the percentage of Portsmouth households that owner their home decreased from 64% to 55%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Portsmouth increased by 10 percentage points

Percentage of households in Portsmouth, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Portsmouth

The number of people in Portsmouth from the White ethnic groups remained close to 180,000 between the last two seasons. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 95% to 88%.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the South East (from 95% to 91%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Portsmouth from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 6,200 in 2001 to about 12,000 in 2011 (from 3.3% to 6.1%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 1,900 to just under 5,500 (from 1.0% to 2.7%).

Just under 3,800 people (0.5%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 940 in 2001 (1.8%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Portsmouth decreased by 6.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Portsmouth by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell in Portsmouth at a faster rate than in Southampton, a statistically similar local authority area.

In Portsmouth, the proportion of married people decreased from 42% in 2001 to 37% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Southampton decreased from 40% to 37%.

Across the South East, the share of married people decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Portsmouth increased from 36% to 44%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner remained close to 13%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were married across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

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